Wounded Lord: Reading John Through the Eyes of Thomas: A Pastoral and Theological Commentary on the Fourth Gospel

Description: Johns gospel does not record Thomass doubt as later generations of Christians have branded the story. Rather John presents Thomass faith. In this work Robert H. Smith approaches Thomas as one who believes in the reality of incarnation: God has a body. Too often Smith argues Christians read Johns gospel for its lyrical discourses. The resulting portrait of Jesus is a cross-less Christ a portrait that contributes powerfully to Christian triumphalism. In contrast Smith finds that the evangelist always has the cross in view. Smith reads John backwards through the eyes of Thomas. In so doing he demonstrates the centrality of a wounded Lord in the theology of the gospel. But this book does not end with hermeneutics. Smith advances his discussion into the life of discipleship. Anyone dwelling in Christs body will be similarly marked. What does it mean to live in the world as the marked body of Christ? Everyone who poses the question will want to read this book. Martha E. Stortz Professor of Historical Theology and Ethics Pacific Lutheran Theological Seminary/The Graduate Theological Union Berkeley California Endorsements: Always an innovative teacher and writer Smith trumps all that in his final book. He finds in Thomass plea to see Jesuss wounds precisely what Johns Gospel wants us to see: a God who became incarnate in Jesus wounds and all. This gospel is not saying according to Smith Jesus is like (the almighty) God but that God is like this wounded Jesus. When I used Roberts ideas recently to end a gospels course one student said in effect You have kept the best teaching until now. --Everett R. Kalin Christ Seminary Lutheran Theological Seminary Berkeley In Wounded Lord we find Robert Smiths last testament a meditation on his favorite gospel. Renouncing all moralizing ethnocentrism and religious triumphalism Smith focuses on Jesuss self-sacrificing love as the clue to Gods nature and as power to heal all divisions. This is a book for everyone to reencounter Johns Jesus whose glory was to give self away so that all humanity might even now be one with him in the lap of the Father. --Gary Pence Pacific Lutheran Theological Seminary From the beginning of my pastoral ministry I have relied on Robert H. Smith for cogent pertinent and deep reflection on Christian scriptures . . . Is he correct that the whole of the book needs to be refracted through the Thomas story that the risen Christ always and necessarily bears the wounds of crucifixion? I believe so and you ought to read the book to consider the question yourself. It will bless your devotional practice your teaching and preaching and your understanding of Gods suffering for and with us. --Rev. Brian Stein-Webber Trinity Lutheran Church Oakland California About the Contributor(s): Robert H Smith (1932-2006) was professor of New Testament at Pacific Lutheran Theological Seminary and served as a member of the core doctoral faculty of the Graduate Theological Union in Berkeley California. He is the author of Apocalypse: A Commentary on Revelation in Words and Images (2000) and Easter Gospels: The Resurrection of Jesus According to the Four Evangelists (1983) He has published commentaries on Matthew (1989) Acts (1970) and Hebrews (1984). He co-authored several books with Paul Fullmer Read Greek by Friday (Wipf &Stock 2004) Read Greek by Friday: The Gospel of John & 1 John (Wipf & Stock 2005) Greek at a Glance (Wipf & Stock 2007).